Records set at A&P show's 175th birthday in Bay of islands

Dave Pacey of Wellsford has a quiet word to Hercules, a prize four-year-old bull weighing around 1.6 tonnes (the weight is an estimate because Hercules is off the farm scales).

Record numbers of spectators and entrants turned out to celebrate the 175th anniversary of New Zealand's oldest country show on Saturday with crowds boosted by the non-arrival of the forecast rain.

Eight-year-old Charlie Robertson of Pakaraka hugs his highland calf Monty.

The Bay of Islands Pastoral and Industrial Show at Waimate North, first held in 1842 when the ink on the Treaty was barely dry, still centres around farm animals, horses and tests of traditional domestic skills, but has expanded in recent years to include a fun fair, a food and wine festival and all manner of stalls and entertainment.

The junior winner of Kids Can Cook, Kawakawa 9-year-old Rawiri Gabb-Warren, accepts his trophy from organiser and Paihia chef Hughie Blues. Rawiri's dish in the final round was chicken crepes.

To mark the anniversary, this year's show featured historic displays from the Pioneer Village in Kaikohe and brought out the rarely awarded royal ribbons from the Royal Agricultural Society for overall champion horse and farm animal.

Okaihau farmer Malcolm Hutchings leads the royal-ribbon-winning champion animal of the show, a 9-year-old Ayrshire cow called Lodore Vals Nella.

Photos by Peter de Graaf.

Korari Horncy, 7, of Whangarei, makes a friend in the small animals tent.

Pakaraka 10-year-olds Kyra Holmes (left) and Willow Alderton wear vintage dresses at the Pioneer Village Kaikohe historic display.

Friends (from left) Ellamae MacCarthy, 11, Jana Vujcich, 10, Aryana Mack, 10, Mishell Ziskakis, 11, Maxine Baker, 11 and Ellie Heath, 11, meet Ferdinand the calf.